Woman killed in Freightliner crash on Highway 99 near Fowler

A woman was killed Monday evening on Highway 99 near Fowler when a Freightliner truck failed to brake in time and forced her car into a cement wall, the California Highway Patrol said.

The collision happened around 5 p.m. on Highway 99 near Clovis Avenue.

The female driver, 58, was driving south in the third lane when she began to slow down for approaching traffic, said CHP Sgt. Mike Trenholm. The driver of the 2010 Freightliner, who was traveling at about 45 mph, didn’t see that the woman’s silver Ford Edge slowing down. By the time he put on his brakes, it was too late to avoid colliding with the Ford, forcing it over the highway shoulder and into a cement wall.

Authorities are still unsure why the woman was killed, Trenholm said, and are still investigating. A 44-year-old passenger in the Ford suffered a broken right arm and was taken to Community Regional Medical Center, but the truck driver and his passenger were unharmed.